Metallica’s Rob Trujillo: 2014 Will Be All About Making a New Album

Metallica have been firing on all cylinders recently when it comes to their workload. The legendary thrash band has put a tremendous amount of energy into two years of their Orion Music + More Festival along with creating the soon-to-be-released 3D film 'Metallica: Through the Never.' Despite Metallica's work ethic, bassist Rob Trujillo admitted recently that all of the band's side projects have "sidetracked" plans for a new album.

'Through the Never' will be released in IMAX 3D theaters on Sept. 27 and regular theaters on Oct. 4, adding yet another monumental project to the band's resume. Now that the second Orion fest is behind them and 'Through the Never' is ready to be shown, Trujillo aims to focus on Metallica's follow-up to their 2008 full-length, 'Death Magnetic.'

"Obviously for next year, our priority has to be making a new record," Trujillo tells Classic Rock Magazine [via Blabbermouth]. "We've been detoured from that through the course of the year. We had about six weeks or so where we were really focusing on a new album and writing and then, you know, somehow we ended up hitting the road. And then at the same time we've got to promote this film. We get sidetracked by great things — it's a blessing and a curse. Before all the film stuff, we were jamming these ideas and having a lot of fun. But we got sidetracked. In 2014, it'll be all about getting new music — without any interruptions, hopefully."

The bassist is also dead set on restoring Metallica's thrash roots for the band's next release. "It feels like 'Death Magnetic' was the launch pad — it's the introduction to what we have now . . . that's one thing I'm excited about: there's the thrash element back in the mix. It's kind of been missing in the past."

Metallica have gathered a "stockpile of riffs" for a new record, although no full songs have been completed. Trujillo hopes Metallica fans will be able to get their hands on a new album "in the next year or so."